Teacher Annie Pintler of Ridgefield, Washington, shows her fifth grade students their new classroom pet, an axoltl. Axolotls are a type of salamander native to Mexico.

Many elementary school teachers have enriched their learning environments with classroom pets that provide invaluable interactive experiences for their students. One teacher who has a very unusual classroom pet is Annie Pintler, a fifth grade teacher at Sunset Ridge Intermediate School in Ridgefield, Washington.

When Annie came across a post on Facebook from an individual who had an axolotl they could no longer care for, she instantly knew this was the classroom pet for her. An axolotl is a type of salamander, native to Mexico. The creature is an endangered species. “I knew I could build a whole curriculum around him,” Annie recalled. “What are axolotls? What do they like to eat?”

Annie adopted the unusual creature, and then gave her students the task of researching the species. The students named their classroom pet Creepy Buddy Aztec after learning that his species name derived from an Aztec word. Then they worked their way through the lessons designed by the creative teacher. The kids learned what an axolotl is, what they eat, and the origin of the species’ name. They also worked to create a satisfactory living environment for their shared pet. After the students concluded their study, Annie asked them to write a story about their research.

You can read more about this amazing educator in this online article from Katu on Your Side.

Students of fifth grade teacher Annie Pintler observe their new classroom pet, an axolotl.

Retired elementary school teacher Hazel Begovich of Troy, Ohio, succumbed to the coronavirus on March 25, 2020.

Sadly, the coronavirus has claimed the life of yet another teacher. Retired educator Hazel Lee Begovich passed away at Upper Valley Medical Center on March 25, 2020, in Troy, Miami County, Ohio. She was one of the first Miami County residents to lose her life to the coronavirus. She was 88 years old.

Hazel was born on December 21, 1931, in Lancaster, Garrard County, Kentucky. After her graduation from high school, she enrolled in Eastern Kentucky University. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education.

After moving with her husband to Troy, Hazel inaugurated her career as an educator when she accepted a position working for the Troy City Schools as a first and second grade teacher. She spent the majority of her teaching career as a second grade teacher at Concord Elementary School in Troy. She retired in 1996.

Hazel was married to Charles Begovich for 59 years, and the union produced one daughter, Malissa Evans. To honor Hazel’s memory, Hazel’s husband has established the Hazel Begovich Memorial Scholarship in her name. The $1,000 scholarship will be offered starting in the 2021-2022 school year. Mr. Begovich says the scholarship will be available for three consecutive years to a graduating Troy High School senior who declares the intention of pursuing a career in primary education.

According to her obituary, Hazel will always be remembered as a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. The obituary also said that Hazel worked tirelessly to help her students pursue their goals.

Read more about this dedicated educator in this online story from the Troy Daily News.

Carmen Fariña at PS 29 in Brooklyn, where she once taught third grade. Later in her career she became the Head of the NYC Department of Education (Photo Credit: Michael Appleton, The New York Times)

Many fine classroom teachers have advanced to lofty positions within their local Department of Education. This is certainly true of Carmen Farina, an elementary school teacher who eventually became the Head of the New York City Department of Education.

Camen was born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 5, 1943. Her parents had emigrated from Spain during the Spanish Civil War. Carmen overcame language and cultural barriers to succeed in school. She became the first person in her family to go to college. The ambitious young woman earned her Bachelor’s degree from New York University. She also earned three Master’s degrees. She earned a Master’s in Bilingual Education from Brooklyn College, another from Fordham University in Gifted/Arts Education, and her third from Pace University in Administration and Supervision.

Carmen inaugurated her career as an educator at PS 29 in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. There she earned a reputation as an exceptionally talented teacher, particularly in the social sciences. In fact, one of her students, novelist and professor Jonathan Lethem, once described her as the “perfect” teacher. He even dedicated his first novel, Gun, with Occasional Music, to his former teacher. Her career at PS 29 spanned 22 years.

From 1991 to 2001, Carmen served as principal of PS 6. Under her leadership there, the school’s improved its ranking on the citywide reading test from 76th to 4th, and nearly 92% of the school’s students were classified as reading at grade level.

Eventually, Carmen was selected to serve as the Core Curriculum Coordinator for Brooklyn’s District 15. While in this role, she published her multi-cultural and interdisciplinary program Making Connections. The program became the model for similar programs in districts throughout the city. Later, she was elected Community Superintendent of District 15, and then she was selected Superintendent of Region 8. She also accepted a position as an adjunct professor at Bank Street College.

From 2004 to 2006, Carmen served the New York City Department of Education as the Deputy Chancellor for Teaching and Learning. There she expanded programs for middle school students, including increased services for special needs students, Saturday school classes, workshops to improve study skills, and parent counseling.

In January, 2013, Carmen began her tenure as Head Chancellor for New York City Department of Education. Carmen served in that capacity until her retirement in April, 2018.

To read more about this amazing educator, see this story published in the New York Times.